1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for outputting individual authentication information (individual authentication information output apparatus) connectable to a plurality of information processing systems through a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, systems for performing business transactions, such as product purchases and use of paid information services, using cellular phones are known. In order to perform a business transaction, it is necessary to connect a cellular phone to a network provider through a base station and then to a company, such as a supplier or a customer, through the network.
In order to connect a cellular phone to a network provider, the user typically needs to input his/her password to the cellular phone. Even after the cellular phone is connected to the network provider, the user is often requested to input his/her password each time he/she attempts to use a service provided by the network provider (for example, reading of mails or mediation for connection to a business connection). The user cannot always use the same password for all these services. Different services provided by the network provider may require a different number of characters for a password.
In order to perform business transactions with a plurality of business connections, it is typically necessary to set a different password for each business transaction or for each service provided by the same business connection. The reason for this is because the number of characters required for a password is often different depending on the business connection.
The user needs to set different passwords for using a plurality of services provided by a network provider or for performing business transactions with a plurality of business connections. It is difficult for the user to manage all the passwords comprehensively.
It is conceivable to reduce the number of characters of passwords so that all the passwords are formed of the same character string in order to allow the user to manage his/her passwords more easily. However, a password of only about four characters can be easily stolen by people in close vicinity of the user when he/she performs a business transaction in public, and subsequently misused. Conversely, a password of a larger number of characters is difficult for the user to remember.
One objective of the present invention is to provide an individual authentication information output apparatus for easily managing passwords without causing the user to be concerned about a great number of passwords even when there are a great number of business connections.
Individual authentication systems for authenticating an individual using biometric information such as, for example, a fingerprint or an iris instead of a password (character or symbol code string) have been developed (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 11-53317). Such systems provide a significantly lower probability of incorrect authentication as compared to an individual authentication system based on a password, and therefore are expected to be used more widely.
However, where different individual authentication systems are used for different business connections, it is necessary to construct an information system or change an existing information system so that a plurality of individual authentication systems can be handled by a cellular phone or a business connection. Conceivable information systems are, for example, (1) mounting a plurality of individual authentication systems on each cellular phone, (2) the user carrying a plurality of cellular phones each having a single individual authentication system mounted thereon, and (3) constructing an information system so that each business connection can handle a plurality of individual authentication systems. Information system (1) increases the cost of the cellular phone, information system (2) is inconvenient to the user, and information system (3) causes the business connection to increase the cost. None of the results are favorable.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide an individual authentication information output apparatus capable of handling a plurality of individual authentication systems.